Join for Free
Home » JLife

Rabbi Shimon’s Favorite Tree

Submitted by

On Lag Ba’omer, Jews around the world honor the memory of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a student of Rabbi Akiva who delved into the esoteric meaning of the Torah.  He taught what is today called “Kabbalah” (hookup mysticism) to his fellow Jews, and his teachings were written in a book called the Zohar, which means “shining light” or “splendor.”

Like most of the rabbis who lived under Roman rule, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was considered a criminal for studying and teaching Torah. Along with his son, Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai went into hiding, and, according to tradition, they sustained themselves for 13 years by eating the fruit of a carob tree  that God miraculously caused to grow in their cave (Talmud Shabbat 33b), hence the custom to eat carob (also known by the Yiddish name, bokser) on Lag Ba’omer.

Is it realistic to believe that grown men could survive on a diet of carob beans and water for 13 years? Perhaps. After all, the carob tree is actually part of the pea family, and the carob beans are packed with protein. In fact, the carob has a less well-known name, “Saint John’s Bread,” which reflects carob’s properties of sustenance. In fact, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and Rabbi Elazar are not the only people mentioned in the Talmud as having lived off the fruit of the carob tree. “Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Every day a Heavenly voice is heard declaring, The whole world draws its sustenance because [of the merit] of Hanina my son, and Hanina my son suffices himself with a kab (measurement) carobs from one Sabbath eve to another” (Taanit 24b). This statement, which seems to be in praise of Hanina’s austerity, confirms that the carob can be considered a valuable food source. (As an interesting side note, the word carat, the weight in which we measure gems and precious metals, is actually derived from the word carob.)

 
This Treat was last published on April 26, 2013.

Copyright © 2015 NJOP. All rights reserved.
Email this post Email this post
Bookmark and Share

Leave a comment!

Add your comment below, or trackback from your own site. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS.

Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam.

This is a Gravatar-enabled weblog. To get your own globally-recognized-avatar, please register at Gravatar.


6 + = 12

Jmag Search
Search now! »
Please enter a zip code.

polls

  • Which of these is your ideal summer getaway?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

free hookup sites near me

It also shows off your a lot more sensitive and inventive side, and ladies could uncover this charming. Just like waiting in line at the grocery store, a woman may be standing subsequent to you. If you want to take it a step further, go see a chick flick. rub ratings los angeles On a hookup date, don t anticipate a girl to control the pace of the night. Alternatively, be proactive, feel free of charge to make the initial move. Getting to initiate a hookup in some cases makes ladies really feel slutty that s why you want to be the first a single to initiate the kissing or the touching. Hold in thoughts that proactivity doesn t imply being pushy or physically abusive. This guide is all about locating and not missing out on a sex evening of your dreams and making use of dating apps the proper way to connect with hot girls. Even though young users dominate on the internet site, additional senior individuals with needed laptop or computer abilities could uncover it quick to use it. The user friendly interface might make your dating knowledge with Spdate extra enjoyable. Just after the registration process is completed, you will want to answer several inquiries to inform about yourself. listcrawler boca raton The go to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Last week marked his initially look in a prime level event because the 2020 Masters was held in November due to the coronavirus pandemic. Netflix and Kinetic Content material are teaming up after once more. The streaming giant announced a new reality show coming quickly, featuring stars from Too Hot To Manage, Love Is Blind, The Circle, Selling Tampa and much more. If you are on a private connection, like at household, you can run an anti virus scan on your device to make positive it is not infected with malware.